Chennai/Tiruchirappalli, Oct 29 The DVAC on Thursday launched extensive searches at 25 places across Tamil Nadu linked to former minister and DMK leader K N Nehru in connection with an alleged multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Tiruchirapalli after the raids, the DMK MLA said the raiding officials did not question him extensively.
He added that the officials seized two laptops along with some documents.
“They didn’t ask me anything. They came and searched every place. They checked the entire premises. They wrote down what items were taken,” Nehru told reporters.
Nehru expressed confidence in the legal process, stating the party will face these actions in court just as they successfully fought land-grabbing allegations during former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s tenure.
Addressing the media in Chennai, TVK Minister R Nirmal Kumar detailed that approximately 2,300 candidates were allegedly charged between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh each.
He further claimed that the recruitment process intentionally bypassed the TNPSC, routing the postings through Anna University instead, and noted that digital evidence supporting these transactions has been secured.
The raids follow the registration of a case against Nehru and others, acting on a recent directive from the Madras High Court. The court had ordered a full-fledged probe based on materials provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which initially flagged the irregularities to the state police in October 2025.
According to the investigation, bribes were systematically collected from candidates in exchange for government postings in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department during Nehru’s tenure as minister.
The timing of the searches aligns with recent legal shifts; the Law Minister pointed out that a stay on the investigation was vacated by the High Court just two days prior, prompting the DVAC to expedite its probe.
Clarifying his legal strategy, Nehru explained that the High Court Chief Justice had directed the filing of the FIR, which led to a dismissed review petition by the DMK and a subsequent, ongoing appeal in the Supreme Court.
DVAC also launched extensive search operations at the residence of former DMK MLA Ramalingam and six other associated locations on Thursday. The exact details of the case and the specific allegations that prompted the raids have not been officially disclosed.
Earlier, reacting strongly to the raids, DMK president M K Stalin termed the action as “Vettri Vendetta Politics” orchestrated by the TVK government. In a lengthy post on X, Stalin accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of staging a “raidshow” to divert public attention from the state’s deteriorating law and order.
Stalin dubbed the ruling party the “TN Branch Washing Machine” that absorbs corrupt individuals while exclusively targeting former DMK ministers, alleging the searches were meant to generate “reels videos” for the upcoming Trichy East by-election.
(PTI News)
